One Step at a Time
by schmikemikey
Summary: Finn Hudson, isn't like everyone else. He's poor, but he makes the best out of it. How does he deal with all the pain and drama in his life, by taking it one step at a time.
1. Chapter 1

I woke up, in the same familiar place and a familiar setting. Like always I just wanted to stay in bed and hide under the covers. But today, according to my mother, was a special day. I, Finn Hudson, was starting my Sophomore year of High School. Even though I looked like I was finishing my last year of High School. Most people usually get excited for high school. Not me. My mom and I moved here over the summer. We lived over in Troy, Ohio. My mom got a better job offer to work at the local hospital. I didn't want to leave my friends over there but I guess I had to.

I've never been a happy child. I mean my mom says I was always happy and smiling, but I never felt happy on the inside. My childhood wasn't exactly the best. Most people never really understood the things I have been through, because they never experienced it.

Most kids my age have had a better childhood than me. A friend of mine, David, has been to the Bahamas, Disneyland, Jamaica, and Mexico. The closet I've ever gotten to those places is by a Television screen. I'm not like the rest of other kids here in Lima, I don't have my own sports car, I don't have an iPod, I don't own clothes from Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister or any kind of trendy clothes.

I make do with what is seen in my closet. Affordable clothes. Sure they aren't cool, but they are cool enough for me. I grabbed some of the newer clothes that I bought the other day for this day in particular. Fashion has never been in my area of expertise, but at least I had something.

As I got ready for the day, I hoped for the best, in school and outside of school. I pray every night, hoping that things for my mom and I would get better. You see, my mom and I are real close, and I'm grateful for that. Most kids treat their parents like complete shit. I'm lucky enough to have one parent that puts up with my crap. My mom and I, we aren't rich, we aren't what people call "Middle Class". We're dirt poor.

There have been nights where I go to bed hungry, because we can't afford a simple meal from McDonalds, or I don't have enough money for lunches at school. There have been times where I just sit in my room and cry because that's all I ever feel like doing. I always pray, pray for the good in people's hearts. I pray to have food on the table; I pray to have a roof over my head. I get so tired of crying all the time, but sometimes it's all I want to do.

I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. My mom was smiling, she was so proud of me. I've changed in the summer, and she thought the change was good. She gave me a giant hug.

"You excited?" She asked.

I looked at her, "It's just school. I'm never excited about that".

"Finn, this is a brand new year for you. New experiences, new friends, make the best out of this year. Who knows what will happen", my mom always tried to make me feel better when I was feeling down. "I wrote you a check for lunch. 60 dollars. That's good for about 2 months. When you're low, I'll write you another check".

"Sounds good", I said with fake smile.

She told me to go get my shoes and she would drive me to McKinley High. She always insisted on driving me to school and home from school. We always listened to Classic Rock in the car. She knew it was my favorite genre of music. It made me happy, and my happiness was important to my mom. Even though we were stuck in a rut, we were both somewhat happy with our lives.

We pulled into the parking lot of McKinley. She told me to have a great day, and she would be waiting for me at 3:30. She gave me a kiss on the cheek before I left the car. She wished me luck on my first day and then she drove away.

I just watched her leave, I didn't want to be here, I just wanted to be at home, and I took a deep and long sigh, before walking up the steps. Waiting for what could be the best, or the _worst_ day of my high school career.


	2. Chapter 2

I walked into the school. Not knowing what to expect. I mean new schools weren't my favorite thing in the world. I looked around to see that most of the guys had letterman jackets on, most of the girls were wearing cheerleader uniforms. Walking in the halls of McKinley you could tell who had friends and who didn't have friends. You could tell who the popular kids were; you could tell who the kids were that smoked behind the school. More importantly you could tell who was a new kid. Everyone stared at me, not just because I was freakishly tall and awkward. I was a new face and that caused a distraction.

I was told to go to the gym, they had tables set up and above the tables they had letters starting from A and ending in Z. Whatever your last name started with, you had to find the table, wait in line to get your schedule.

I was able to get in my line fast before everyone else crowded the room. Getting my schedule was the start of everything. It determined who would be my favorite teacher, my least favorite teacher and so on. Everyone was freaking out because they had a class with their best friend. For me, I didn't know who I would have a class with. When it comes to having friends, I have a problem in that area. Most people make fun of poor people, who would want to be friends with me. I walked out of the gym and down to find my locker.

My locker was near the front of the school, down in some hallway that held all the music and art classes. I went to open it but I failed. I got so frustrated. I hate the first day experience. I just wanted to go home. I banged my head on the locker door, just wanting for the day to end.

"Can't get your locker open?" a voice from out of the blue said.

I jumped up; I turned to see a brown haired girl wearing a white shirt with red polka dots, with a dark red, short, skirt with high white knee socks. She was so tiny. It was kind of cute.

"Yeah, could you help me out", I asked.

"Of course", she was so nice, she sat her bag down against the lockers and I handed her my locker combination. She read the numbers out loud and within 20 seconds, the door was open. "There you go", she said in a cheerful voice.

I felt so stupid, I couldn't even get my own locker open, but a girl could do it for me, "Thanks".

"You're welcome", she grabbed her bag and walked down to her own locker, which just 3 away from mine. She opened her locker and started putting up some weird things in it. "I've never seen you around here before. You must be new", she asked.

I smiled, "What gave it away".

"Well, the fact that you're taller than all the guys at this school", she said. "I would've seen you before".

"Oh, well, I moved here from Troy, Ohio. My mom got a better job offer to work at a different hospital", I told her.

"Well, it's nice to have you here at McKinley", she said.

She was weird, but a good kind of weird. "Are you like, the welcoming committee?"

She chuckled, "No, I'm just nice. I just want you to know that you have a friend here", she told me.

A friend. That was fast. Usually it takes me like 2 to 3 months to actually start having friends. "Well, thank you."

She closed her locker door and walked back over to me. She held her hand out, "I'm Rachel, Rachel Berry".

I looked at her, smiling back, I reached over for her hand and shook it, "I'm Finn…Hudson".

"Nice to meet you Finn", she was such a nice person. She must be every teacher's favorite student, and everybody's friend.

"You wouldn't mind helping me find my first class", I asked her.

"Sure, let me see your schedule", I handed her back the paper and she glanced at it for a while. "Well Finn, I'm in your first class, follow me".

She started walking and I quickly followed. She walked pretty fast. Most people stared at her. But the looks weren't so nice. People made fun of her, but it seemed to me like she didn't notice. People yelled out _Freak_, a feisty cheerleader called her _Dwarf_ and another cheerleader called her _Ru Paul_. I had no idea who that was.

My first class was Spanish, with Mr. Schuester. On the whiteboard it said:

_Welcome To Spanish 1_

_Look at the paper on my desk for your assigned seat._

I followed Rachel to the desk. She explained to me that it was an outline of all the tables in the classroom and wherever your picture was placed, you'd be sitting there. I didn't get to sit next to Rachel; she sat next to someone else, in the front of the class. I traced to paper with my finger and located my seat.

I was in the back of the class. Best seat in my opinion. My partner wasn't there yet. I looked around seeing all the many different posters on the walls. So many different phrases in Spanish and the Flag of Mexico proudly hung up above the door. I sat in my seat waiting for the day to end, but that was happening slowly. Students kept walking in and sitting down in their assigned seats, but no one sat next to me. It was times like this that made me believe that no one liked me. But I knew it was the seating arrangement that played games on me. I always thought the next person that walked in would be my partner.

The final bell rang and one more student walked in. A blonde fellow, my seat was the last one available. He walked over to my table and sat down next to me. He greeted me with a smile. His lips….were in fact one of the biggest lips I've ever seen.

"Hi, I'm Finn", I said.

"I'm Sam", he replied.

We shook hands, and just by that handshake, I felt something. We clicked. I think I found my new best friend.


End file.
